As music – “Some of Vince’s garbage,” Cliff Robinson identified – blared throughout the gym, the Nets went with 10 bodies at practice.

The music imitated game-night conditions and generated distractions. The missing through a variety of reasons simulated the headaches coaches encounter. Unlike the music, the injuries and absences were not done on purpose.

Jason Kidd remained home with a viral infection, something probably that came courtesy of a bug going through his daughters’ school. Hassan Adams was in Arizona, answering to a DUI arrest. Marcus Williams went through the initial warm-up and then sat due to his sore wrist and the bruised heel he suffered Sunday. Cliff Robinson bailed after half the practice with an achy back.

And then there were the usual walking wounded practice absences: Eddie House, off crutches and due to get the stitches removed Tuesday from his arthroscopic surgery-repaired knee; Darvin Ham with a walking boot to protect his right calf injury; Josh Boone, rehabbing his surgically repaired shoulder.

So the music was a nice touch, soothing the savage beast and all that.

“During the course of the season, you’re always looking for different challenges. Can you maintain your focus? Can you maintain your same intent with music going on in the background? You’re playing in front of 20,000 people…It’s a whole exercise in focus,” explained Lawrence Frank. “It’s music they listen to in the locker room. It brings a different element to practice.”

So the injured are healing, at least. House, antsy to get back, said that on Thursday, two days after the stitches come out, he’ll “get in the pool and start rehabbing it.” No rush, he said. He’ll return when he returns. So there.

Another guy in no particular rush is Marcus Williams. His sprained left wrist is still a little bothersome. Same with the left heel.

“It’s a little better. I’m not sure though still when I’ll play,” he said. “I really don’t want to rush anything.”

Ham, a good guy type, came to Net camp knowing his chances of finding a roster spot were virtually nil. Didn’t matter. He just wants to be around the NBA.

“I was working for Fox SportsNet last year. I’m happy just to get an opportunity to come here and be with the guys, just be around the league,” Ham said. “My future, I really want to be in this business whether it’s coaching, front office work, whatever. The NBA has been good to my life and I want to give something back once I’m finished playing.”

In case you care: Cliff Robinson, 40 in December, is the league’s oldest player. He just shrugged. “I was the oldest last year, too.”

He’s not quite Shaq or Wilt just yet but Mile Ilic is making progress that pleases the Nets. “Every day he’s making small steps,” Frank said praising the young center’s work ethic and effort with strength coach Rich Dalatri. “He’s making great gains in the weight room. Hopefully down the road those will transfer onto the basketball court.”

Frank wanted to treat the last three pre-season games as “regular season-lite” but with all the injuries and absences, “we may have to re-adjust the plan.”

Frank on his rotation: “The key is not necessarily how many guys we play but what combinations we play. That’s the biggest immediate search. We’ve gone through, as coaches, all different exercises. One is to figure out who played well and how do you fit him in there.”

Nets play Celtics again Tuesday at home, go to Philly Wednesday and then finish pre-season with Knicks in Continental Airlines Arena Friday.